Tuesday, April 4 11:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
University of San Francisco Fromm Hall – Maraschi Room

The rise of Islamophobia, anti-Muslim discrimination, and related hate crimes is a crisis none of us can ignore. But how can we engage in resistance within this climate of fear and uncertainty? Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to join us for a daylong symposium aimed at educating and equipping all of us with effective tools for civic engagement. The event ​is inspired by ​the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”. ​The interactive workshops​ ​explicitly connect ​the rise of Islamophobia with the increase in other forms of hate and discrimination against marginalized communities. Keynote address by USF Inaugural Diversity Scholar Visiting Professor Clarence Jones and San Francisco physician Suzanne Barakat will vividly illustrate the tragic consequences of silence and the necessity of coalition-building to various forms of resistance.

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11:45-12:45 Welcome
Opening remarks by University of San Francisco President Fr. Paul Fitzgerald, S.J.
Keynote address by Dr. Clarence Jones, inaugural Diversity Scholar Visiting Professor
Followed by Lunch

12:45-2:30 Workshop No Ban! No Wall! Resistance to the Criminalization of Immigrant, Refugee, and Undocumented Communities
Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales, Assistant Professor, Leadership Studies
Cinthya Munoz-Ramos, immigrant rights advocate and Legislative Director for Supervisor Richard Valle in Alameda County
Elica Vafaie, Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus
Guadalupe Vela Orozco, senior at June Jordan School for Equity, Director of the 4U club
María Zaragoza, senior at June Jordan School for Equity, co-authored the Undocumented, Unafraid, and United Students Resolution presented to SFUSF School Board.
Miriam Uribe, senior at USF, undocumented activist involved in various initiatives at USF

We need to draw the connections between marginalized communities in this moment. In this workshop, Bay Area activist leaders share resistance work that is happening on the issues of undocumented students and families and against Trump’s Muslim Ban. This work serves as an inspiration for what each of us can do as campus leaders, students, and San Francisco Bay Area community members.

2:40-4:25 Panel and Workshop: Counteracting Anti-Muslim Discrimination in Connection with Other Targeted Communities
Aaron Hahn Tapper, Mae and Benjamin Swig Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, Theology & Religious Studies
James Taylor, Professor, Politics
Aysha Hidayatullah, Associate Professor, Theology & Religious Studies
Madihha Ahussain, Muslim Advocates, Head of Program to Counter Anti-Muslim Hate
Lara Kiswani, Executive Director, Arab Resource & Organizing Center

The alarming resurgence of hate crimes and other forms of discrimination aimed against many communities threatens the fabric of our country. Join us for a critical interactive discussion and workshop on counteracting hate through our voices and actions. Brief faculty remarks will be followed by conversations with legal advocates and grass-roots organizers.

4:30-5:30 “The Deadly Threat of Islamophobia & How We Can Stand Together Against Hatred”
Keynote Address on Islamophobia by Dr. Suzanne Barakat, Chair of Our Three Winners Foundation and UCSF Family Medicine Resident

5:30-7 Artist Performances and Closing
Comedian Zahra Noorbakhsh, Spoken Word Artist Mohammed Bilal, Diana Kalaji, and the Lyricist Lounge

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This event is sponsored by CRASE, the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, Office of Diversity Engagement & Community Outreach, University Ministry, Muslim Student Association, Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought, Task Force for Support and Services for Undocumented Students at USF, Communication Studies, Critical Diversity Studies, History, International Studies, Media Studies, Middle East Studies, Performing Arts and Social Justice, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice, and Theology and Religious Studies.